More than 200 Cabarrus County Revolutionary War patriots honored with new America 250 banner
After several years of research, the Cabarrus Black Boys unveiled the display at Concord City Hall to commemorate the nation's upcoming 250th anniversary.
To commemorate the nation's upcoming 250th anniversary, the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution has unveiled a banner recognizing more than 200 Cabarrus County residents who fought in the American Revolution.
The banner, displayed inside Concord City Hall, will remain on public display through the end of 2026 as part of the nationwide America 250 celebration.
“We wanted to make sure we had a listing of all of our patriots that was visible to the community,” said Corinne Smith, chapter regent of the Cabarrus Black Boys. “That way, people would know these are the patriots who fought from Cabarrus County.”
The chapter takes its name from the Cabarrus Black Boys, a group of young Scots-Irish patriots who, according to local history, blackened their faces with soot before destroying a British gunpowder shipment in 1771 to prevent it from being used against the Regulator Movement. Forced into hiding after the attack, the men were secretly aided by members of the Rocky River Presbyterian community until the American colonies declared independence.
The banner features more than 200 names, including many that remain familiar throughout the county today, such as Alexander, Barringer, Blackwelder, Crawford, Harris and Ross.
Compiling that list was no small task.
Over the past five years, members of the Cabarrus Black Boys have painstakingly researched local Revolutionary War patriots, drawing from family records, church documents, materials housed in the Lore History Room at the Concord Library Branch and archives maintained by the national Daughters of the American Revolution.
“There were a lot of different resources that we used to pull it all together,” said Kathy Dean, the chapter’s historian.
Even after years of research, members believe the project is still unfinished.
As additional historical records and family documentation emerge, Smith and Dean expect more Cabarrus County patriots to be identified and added to the chapter’s records.
The American Revolution came at a tremendous cost, with an estimated 6,800 Americans killed in battle and another 17,000 dying from diseases such as typhus, dysentery and influenza.
North Carolina played a pivotal role in the American Revolution, from the Patriot victory at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in 1776 to the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in 1781, where a costly British victory weakened British Gen. Charles Cornwallis' army and helped pave the way for the American victory at Yorktown.
To prepare for the nation's 250th anniversary, the Cabarrus Black Boys formed an America 250 committee several years ago. The banner has since become one of the committee's signature projects.
For Dean, preserving the stories of those who fought for independence is about remembering the sacrifices that helped shape the nation.
“There’s no country like us in the world as far as a democratic republic,” Dean said. “To celebrate that and our freedoms that they gave us, that’s the big thing. They gave us the freedoms that we have today.”
Dean described the project as “a labor of love.”
Smith said she still vividly remembers the excitement surrounding the nation’s bicentennial celebration in 1976 and hopes the 250th anniversary inspires a similar sense of patriotism and historical appreciation.
“We want to continue that idea of recognizing our country,” Smith said.
The Cabarrus Black Boys have also compiled a Patriot Book containing biographical information on each known Cabarrus County patriot who served during the American Revolution. The book is available for public research in the Lore History Room at the Concord Library Branch.